Diabetes mellitus

A disease of carbohydrate, protein, and fat metabolism brought on by relative or absolute insulin deficiency. The disease is characterized by chronic hyperglycemia, which can result in damage to the kidneys, eyes, heart, blood vessels, and other organs. (See type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, gestational diabetes.)

Alert: October 20, 2012: The Look AHEAD trial has been halted due to futility. Read exclusive commentary from Anne Peters, MD, one of the study’s principal investigators, on the important role of lifestyle interventions for preventing obesity and diabetes despite the lack of CV benefit seen in the trial. Wadden TA, Neiberg RH, Wing RR, et al; for the Look AHEAD Research Group. Four-year weight losses in the Look AHEAD study: factors associated with long-term success. Obesity. 2011;19(10):1987-1998. This analysis of 4-year data from the Look AHEAD (Action for Health in Diabetes) trial examined the effect of lifestyle on weight loss and identified demographic characteristics and lifestyle behaviors associated with sustained weight loss in the intensive lifestyle intervention treatment group.

Norhammar A, Schenck-Gustafsson K. Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease in women. Diabetologia. 2012 Sep 4.Epub ahead of print. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in both men and women. This is also true for patients with diabetes. In general, differences between the sexes are present in several areas, such as epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnostics, treatment response and prognosis, as well as the way in which disease is experienced and expressed.

Admiraal WM, Celik F, Gerdes VE, Dallal RM, Hoekstra JB, Holleman F. Ethnic Differences in Weight Loss and Diabetes Remission After Bariatric Surgery A meta analysis. Diabetes Care. 2012;35(9):1951-1958. It has been postulated that the effectiveness of bariatric surgery varies between ethnic groups. However, data regarding this topic are inconclusive, as most studies included few patients from minority groups.

Odegaard AO, Koh WP, Yuan JM, Gross MD, Pereira MA. Western style fast food intake and cardiometabolic risk in an eastern country. Circulation. 2012;126(2):182-188. BACKGROUND: Western-style fast food contributes to a dietary pattern portending poor cardiometabolic health in the United States. Western-style fast food contributes to a dietary pattern portending poor cardiometabolic health in the United States. With globalization, this way of eating is becoming more common in developing and recently developed populations.